Third, Fourth fronts figment of imagination: Advani (Second Lead)

By Soudhriti Bhabani Uluberia (West Bengal), April 29 (IANS) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K. Advani Wednesday asserted that the incoming government will be only BJP or Congress-led and alleged the prime minister’s office had lost its decision-making power to Sonia Gandhi’s house during the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) rule.

Addressing an election meeting here in Howrah district, Advani said contrary to the hopes of the communist parties, a Third Front government will not come to power.

“There will be no Third Front (government)… no Fourth Front (government). They are imaginations,” he said, asserting that the reality of Indian politics now was that the country could only be ruled by either a Congress-led or a BJP-led government.

Delving into his favourite theme of the prime minister lacking decision-making powers, Advani said: “(The address at) 7, Race Course Road should be the most important, because it is the prime minister’s office. But no decision is taken there. If anybody wants to take a decision, then they say have you asked 10, Janpath (Congress chief Sonia Gadnhi’s residence)?”

“This has to be changed… 7, Race Course Road must remain the most important address,” he said.

Expressing concern at the Taliban increasing its base in neighbouring Pakistan, Advani said: “The Taliban is now only 30 km away from India. If some serious situation develops then this government (Congress-led UPA) will not be able to tackle it.”

Advani alleged that there were uncountable terror incidents during the UPA government’s rule. “But not a single person has been arrested.”

Drawing a parallel with his party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) rule, he said: “During our reign, all terrorists coming for terror activities used to be killed.

“Five terrorists had come from Pakistan for the attack on parliament. All of them were killed. And all those who helped them were punished.”

He urged the people to “show the door’ to the Congress and usher in the NDA, promising “good governance, development, public welfare and security”.

Advani was, however, silent on former alliance partner Trinamool Congress, which has now switched over to the Congress camp.

Earlier on his arrival in Kolkata, the BJP leader slammed the Congress and the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) for their “opportunistic” tie-up after 2004 polls.

“The 2004 alliance between the Congress and the CPI-M was totally opportunistic. It was based upon simply a negative consideration that the BJP be kept out. There was nothing in common between the two,” Advani told reporters.

“Now the Congress and the CPI-M will have to bear the wages of opportunism,” he said.

The CPI-M-led Left parties had provided crucial support to the UPA government for four years since 2004. The Left parties withdrew support from the government in mid 2008 protesting against the India-US civilian nuclear deal.

At his election rally in Uluberia, nearly 50 km from Kolkata, Advani said: “People today don’t have employment in villages because of which they come to the cities. In the cities too, there are no jobs, and therefore they settle down in slums.”

“With our IT vision, we are going to provide computer education in all villages. According to the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, every boy and girl should get education, but this is not enough. Computer education is necessary and we will ensure that everyone gets it, for IT enabled jobs,” he added.

He said the Left Front government in West Bengal was anti-development. “If Tata wanted to get Nano here, it was good. However, the interest of the farmer had to be kept in mind.”